


Harry Potter and the Unexpected Journey

by MercurialMagpie



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Enemies to Friends to Lovers, First Kiss, Getting Together, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-27
Updated: 2020-08-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:28:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26140396
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MercurialMagpie/pseuds/MercurialMagpie
Summary: Sometimes it takes a trip far, far away to see what's right in front of you.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter
Comments: 7
Kudos: 35
Collections: Magical Vacation Manip/Writing Fest





	Harry Potter and the Unexpected Journey

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Gcgraywriter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gcgraywriter/gifts).



> This was prompted by Gcgraywriter's lovely art. Thanks for the chance to be part of this fest!

Harry slipped one more pair of woolly socks into his suitcase- _Dumbledore was right, can never have too many of those_ \- and headed downstairs to the Floo point in the living room. Along the way, he stopped off in the front hall to grab his leather jacket and slip his shrunken suitcase into it. Kreacher was waiting (lurking) near the fireplace, and Harry nodded to him. “Alright, I don’t expect to be gone more than two weeks, and I know you can look after the place just fine that long. If anyone’s looking for me, you can send them on to the Ministry, they’ll know how to get hold of me.” He slung the jacket around his shoulders and activated the Floo. “Well, enjoy your holiday. Feel free to take a half-day and, I dunno, visit family, or go fishing, or whatever it is that you’re interested in.” Before he could ponder the cranky old elf’s leisure activities, he stepped through to the Ministry atrium, where his eyes alighted on a familiar figure. “Hermione!”

“Harry!” She smiled and pulled him into a hug. Unfortunately, it became apparent she had Motives for the hug when it went on just a bit too long. “Now, Harry, don’t be angry. I really did think it was meant to be me...”

He pulled back far enough to squint suspiciously at her. “So, you’re _not_ the Ministry official I’m going to be guarding for the next fortnight?”

She winced a bit, looking apologetic. “Well, apparently there was someone else who needed the goodwill tour more...” He started to ask a few questions, but a posh drawl from behind him, one he knew all too well, answered them all.

“And so gracious of you to give up your spot to me, Granger. One might almost think you like me.” The look on Malfoy’s face was more a genuine smile than the sneer Harry was expecting, and he was dressed in an unexpectedly Muggle (though still unfairly attractive) style of a black suit, with black shirt and black-on-black tie. It made his skin and hair glow like a star come to Earth, and Harry really needed to stop writing florid poetry in his head. He was an adult, dammit! A professional!

Harry stepped forward, holding out his hand while mentally scrambling for something pleasant (but not horribly revealing) to say. “Malfoy. You’re looking well.”

The smile tightened, just a smidge, as those long, pale (warm!) fingers wrapped around Harry’s. “Potter. How very lovely. I have important things to be doing, here in London, and instead they send me On Progression round the countryside, which, frankly, is little more than a glorified holiday, _and_ they insist I need their best Auror-” the sneer emerged for just a moment “-as a bodyguard, and it turns out he’s essentially a glorified babysitter. Come on then, let’s get this over with.” He rolled his eyes as he turned toward the Floos.

~HP~DM~

The tour was traditionally conducted clockwise, so their first stop was a small working farm outside Hastings, which Draco could admit (to himself, obviously, it wouldn’t do to say such things aloud) was quite lovely, and a nice change from all the stone and brick of London. The Devon Coven were gracious hostesses, plying them with tea, scones, and innuendo and showing them around the local areas of historical and/or magical significance. Best of all, that night they put on a feast, each bringing out her best dish for Draco and Potter to sample, all accompanied by cordials and liqueurs. By the time they stumbled into somebody’s guest room, they were full, sozzled, and surprisingly happy.

The second stop, Langley Wood, included a magi-natural preserve, with all sorts of interesting rare creatures, but Draco was increasingly distracted by Potter’s neatly kept facial hair. He was finding it harder and harder to resist running his fingers through the short, dark strands, and he certainly couldn’t keep himself from wondering what it would feel like, whether it was coarse or soft, what sorts of sounds Potter might make ~~when~~ if he did. He paid enough attention to their hosts to make the right noises of approval during the tour and the meal that followed, but most of his energy was spend attempting to wrestle this ridiculous infatuation into submission.

The next handful of stops were much the same, cheerful hosts, hearty, filling food, and more livestock than either of them were prepared for. Still, they were spending enough time together (and sharing enough experiences) that Draco thought Potter might actually be warming to him, and that one day they might finally become friends. By the time they left Glastonbury Abbey, they were even on a first-name basis.

~HP~DM~

Draco staggered into the hotel room and collapsed face-first onto one of the ridiculously large beds. “Civilization at last. Proper, comfortable beds. Meals that aren’t somebody’s Gran’s recipe. No roosters whatsoever. Bliss.” He gave a heartfelt groan, and Harry chuckled as he went around the room, doing his security checks and setting the wards. As he came around to where he could see half of Draco’s face, mashed into the duvet, the one visible eye opened and gave him a half-hearted glare. “And if you ever tell _anyone_ that I ever called bloody _Cardiff_ civilization, I’ll hex you into next year.”

Harry just laughed and flopped (face up, thank you very much) onto the other bed. “Your secret is safe with me. So I’m guessing you’ll want a real restaurant for dinner tonight? We could take a stroll downtown, do some sight-seeing or shopping before or after.”

Draco grumbled in thought for a moment. “A constitutional does sound lovely. Perhaps after the meal, to help it settle?”

Harry hummed his response. “Almost wish I could use a Glamour, I always get recognized at restaurants.”

Draco surprised even himself with his next words. “We could go to a Muggle place.” Harry jerked his head up to stare in surprise, and Draco, never one to back down from a Potter Stare, met his eyes almost defiantly. Harry grinned and pried himself off the bed to go talk to the concierge.

The restaurant they were directed to was casual, but in a classy way that had Draco nodding in approval; the meal itself turned out to be lovely, succulent meat and crisp vegetables, and the conversation was unexpectedly lovely as well. They were both careful to stay away from their school years, aside from funny anecdotes and Quidditch rivalry, but they still had a myriad of topics to discuss and debate, from Shakespeare (Draco loved the audacity of creating so many new words and phrases) to comparative fashion (Harry vehemently defended the practicality of trousers rather than robes). Harry didn’t even mind paying for both of them. (He explained to Draco how he had set himself up a Muggle bank account, what his debit card was, and how one was used. Draco immediately began to get Ideas.)

They carried the conversation out into the cool night, meandering along still-bustling thoroughfares and quiet little side streets, enjoying each other’s company far more than either would have predicted a week ago. There was a lull in their debate, wherein they even smiled at each other, just a little, and then Harry heard it. Flutes, and drums, or maybe tambourines, in a cheerful, lilting melody that ignited his curiosity and drew him in. Without thinking, he turned down the next tiny lane, following the tune.

“Harry!” Draco’s exasperation was shaded with fondness. “And where do you think you’re going?”

Harry grinned over his shoulder. “Following the music. C’mon, have an adventure with me!” Draco rolled his eyes, but joined him willingly. The lane grew grassy, the hedges on either side higher and wilder, then it all opened into a small meadow dotted with flowers. The other side of the meadow was a stone wall, old and crumbling but still taller than either of them, set in the middle with a tall, arched gate and heavy wooden doors. The doors were standing open just enough that one person could slip through, and the music was louder and more boisterous, clearly coming from the other side of the wall.

Halfway across the meadow, Draco grabbed Harry by the arm. “Wait. We don’t know whose place this is. Maybe we shouldn’t.”

Harry considered for all of two seconds. “Yeah, but I want to find out more about that music, don’t you? Listen, if they’re Wizarding, you can just do your ‘the Ministry cares for your concerns’ bit, and if they’re Muggle you can be posh at them, either way maybe we can get some dessert and a cuppa. Unless you’re actually frightened?”

Harry had meant the question to be genuine (nowadays he hated the thought of Draco being afraid of anything), but Draco took it as more of a challenge. “If you’re not afraid, neither am I. Come on, then, you Gryffindor, keep up.” He strode boldly up to the gate and slipped through without letting himself think in the slightest about what he was doing.

Behind him, Harry slipped through as well, but Draco’s attention was caught by the landscape around them. They were standing on a long, narrow stretch of beach, pale sand bounded on one side by a riot of lush vegetation, and on the other by the ocean, glowing both from some bioluminescence below the surface and from the reflection of the sky. For it was the sky that commanded attention, overflowing with stars, a thousand times more stars than they had ever seen from the Astronomy Tower.

Harry gasped, and his voice was soft, reverent. “We’re not in Cardiff anymore, Toto...”

The bolt of worry was sharp enough to turn Draco’s eyes from the panorama to his companion. “Er, Harry? I’m Draco. Did you forget?”

Harry huffed a laugh at him. “No, it’s from- You know what, we can talk about that when we get back to London. Right now, we should probably get back to- Oh.” He had turned toward the gate they had come through, only to find no gate there. The beach stretched on just as far in that direction, just as unbroken by built structures as the direction they’d seen first. Instinctively, Harry whipped out his wand and cast at the spot where the gate should be. “ _Alohamora_!”

They exchanged a worried look, and Draco pulled out his own wand. “ _Revelo_!” Still nothing, and Draco wasn’t even sure he’d felt the magic moving through him. “ _Finite Incantum_!” He refused to give in to the rising panic. “ _Lumos_?” His wand refused to light, and Draco knew his breath was starting to get fast and shallow, but the last thing he wanted to do was fall apart in front of _Harry_ , of all people!

But Harry was being gentle, and kind. “Hey, it’s ok. It’ll be ok, Draco, just breathe. C’mon, nice deep breaths.” He put a hand on Draco’s back and turned him up the beach. “Tell you what, we’ll go sit and regroup, ok?” The two of them took the handful of steps to the treeline, and found something vaguely like a coconut palm, whose base split into two trunks. They sat, leaning against the trunks, with their hips and thighs close enough to share warmth.

As Draco’s panic receded, his first instinct was to lash out in anger, and of course the favorite target of his anger was right there next to him. “This is all your fault, Potter! You were the nutter who wanted to follow crazy music and go through a mysterious gate, and now I’m pretty sure we’re on an alien planet, with no way home, and we’re going to die here, and it’s all your-”

“My fault.” Harry sighed. “I know, and I’m sorry. I thought it would be a fun little adventure, maybe even an inside joke, and I didn’t stop to think. We should be alright for now, though, and people from the Ministry will be looking for us soon enough.”

“Oh.” Draco hadn’t expected Harry to cave so easily, had been gearing up for a great row, and now he wasn’t quite sure what to do with himself. He let his head drop back against the tree trunk and stared up at the remarkable starscape. “They might not find us, you know. We might be unfindable. Still, if I have to potentially starve to death millions of miles from home, the view is certainly worth it.” He flicked a look over at Harry. “And the company’s not bad, either.”

Harry flicked a look and half a smile back at him. “Surprisingly good company, really.” He shifted, and at first Draco thought he was just uncomfortable, until Harry was properly facing him, leaning in, breath warm on Draco’s cheek. “And, you know, I have an idea or two of how we can pass the time until the rescue party gets here.” They both turned, just enough that their lips met, and the sparks that had been growing between them the past few days (years, really, but who’s counting?) burst into a bonfire, and they were lost to anything except the kissing. Time even became a hazy concept, the kisses slowing as exhaustion overtook them, until they fell into sleep still tangled together.

~HP~DM~

They woke the next morning to the crowing of a rooster, lying together in an overgrown, dew-soaked meadow circled by an old stone wall. They shifted, looking at each other and around them, and a piece of parchment crinkled between them. Harry pulled it out and unrolled it. “If we shadows have offended, think but this and all is mended, that you have but slumbered here, whilst these visions did appear-” He snorted and let the parchment roll back up. “Well, Puck. I guess I’m glad we weren’t on an alien planet?”

Draco chuckled. “I’d lodge a complaint, but I doubt Oberon would hear me out.” He smiled shyly and laced his fingers with Harry’s. “Besides, I’m rather happy with the results.” They grinned giddily at each other for a long moment, then Draco laughed aloud. “And think of the story we’ll have to share with Granger!”


End file.
